Birgitta Böckeler's talk “A programmer is…” traces back the steps of the programmer profession to its beginnings over 70 years ago, and reflects on how those beginnings might have shaped our image of who programmers are today. When the task of “programming” first emerged and became more and more important, how did companies hire for this totally new career? What shaped the profession and how non-programmers and potential aspiring programmers perceive it? And how might all that be connected to our ongoing struggle to achieve more diversity in the industry?